


And Now We Fall From Grace

by AmaranthPrincess21



Category: Shall We Date?: Wizardess Heart+
Genre: Drinking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Loss of Innocence, Loss of Virginity, Multi, Other, Soul-Searching, Unusual Friendships, brother bonding but no incest bc in this house we fuckin despise Klias
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-05-16 01:54:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,795
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14802114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmaranthPrincess21/pseuds/AmaranthPrincess21
Summary: With Klaus graduated, it's Elias' time to shine. All he needs to do is keep up his grades and become a Prefect. It should be easy, right? But as the responsibilities piled onto him by his family and the curiosity he has towards the illicit things he was never allowed to do, Elias must find his own path and not let the weight of the Goldstein name crush him. That is, if curiosity doesn't kill the cat first.





	1. Piqued Interest

**Author's Note:**

> I absolutely ADORE Elias and I've been wanting to write an Elias-centric fic for a while now. I hope I can do some bomb character studies while I put my little precious bean through some hilarious, happy, and situations.   
> There are OCs and stuff in this, but this is heavily a friendship fic so there's not really any romance in here except for a few background side pairings, in case that's not your thing.

Elias woke up with a start, the feeling of falling rousting him from his deep sleep. Gasping, he sat up and struggled to catch his breath. He was safe. He was fine. He was still in the guest room of Klaus' new apartment in Gedonelune Town. Everything was totally fine. And yet for some reason, he didn't want to lie back down. The clock on his bedside told him it was around four thirty in the morning. _I'll have to wake up in an hour anyway. I might as well get up,_ he thought. After all, he and his family were having breakfast together before he had to leave for school.

Graduation was a big deal at the Academy. As the top magic school in the country and top-ranked in the world, it oozed prestige and the Academy's administration treated it with the respect it deserved. The ceremony was held the day before the new term started and it was a long-standing tradition that if siblings attended the Academy and one graduated before the other, the younger was allowed to spend graduation night in town with their family as not to miss the celebration. And so Elias found himself in town and instead of his dorm with Yukiya.

The kitchen was lit by a few candles when Elias came in. Klaus was seated at the island, one hand holding his head up and the other clutching a glass of water.

“Did I wake you up?” Klaus asked. His voice was slightly slurred and as he got closer, Elias noticed his face had a tinge of red and his clothes and hair were messy. He was still wearing the clothes he had on when he left hours ago for a party.

“Did you just get back?” Elias grabbed a teakettle and made quick work of fixing himself something to drink. Klaus nodded and took a sip of his water.

“Yes. The party lasted longer than I thought it would.” He stared down at his glass. “Don't mention this to our parents. They don't need to know how late I came in.” He paused and took another sip of water. “Or that I came back without Sigurd. He's still over there partying.”

“My lips are sealed.” It wasn't like he wanted to rat Klaus out, anyway. Elias poured him some tea and handed him the cup.

“Thanks.” He sighed and slumped in his stool. His eyes were drooping and Elias could smell the sharp smell of parties, of alcohol and God knew what else, coming off of him. If he wasn't careful, he looked as if he'd fall asleep on the marble counter. Elias wondered why Klaus had drunk; he wasn't the partying type. Hell, he hadn't even wanted to go to the party initially but Sigurd insisted he go. Elias could only wonder what had happened and how much Klaus had drunk in order to look so disheveled. He grappled with the question of whether or not to ask him. He was worried, of course, but there was something selfish in him that just wanted to know what in the world Klaus had been thinking. But he missed his chance. Klaus downed the last of his tea and carefully stood up.

“I'm going to go take a shower before I go to bed,” he announced. “Are you going back to bed?”

“No, I think I'll stay up,” Elias replied. Klaus nodded.

“I'll see you in an hour or so.” And he was gone. Elias stared after him. Klaus wasn't the kind of man to party. Perhaps he decided to let loose for once? Although, the concept of letting loose seemed pretty alien when applied to Klaus. Something about the whole ordeal wouldn't leave his mind, and he couldn't tell what it was.

 

* * *

 

Six o'clock rolled around and Sigurd wasn't back at the apartment. Their mother made the call to head out to breakfast and meet up with him at the cafe. Elias sat next to her at a small booth and his lack of sleep was quickly catching up to him. He could barely keep his eyes open. His eyes were burning and his body felt so heavy. If he were younger, he'd simply lean against his mother and nap while they waited for the waitress to come and take their order. _No, I need to snap out of it,_ he told himself.

“Sigurd's on his way,” Klaus said as he walked to their table. He took a seat opposite them and put his Magic Phone into his bag. Klaus was pale and looked even more exhausted than Elias felt. His eyes were bloodshot and he still had a sluggish sort of drag to his movements. _I don't know how Klaus is managing being awake,_ Elias thought.

“What time did you get back to the apartment?” their mother asked as she put her menu down.

“It was around four am,” Klaus responded. “I'm sure Sigurd will be here soon enough -”

“It's not that, although I am a bit concerned where he is. I was just wondering how late you were out,” she replied. “It's not often I have to try and stay up for my one of my boys.”

“You didn't have to stay up, but I appreciate it,” he said with a small smile on his face. “How late were you up?”

“I think I went to bed at two. I couldn't stay up any longer and I knew if something awful happened, you would call me. Or I'd get a call from someone.”

“Either way, I'm sorry you stayed up that late for me.” Klaus looked up and gave a short wave to someone behind Elias. When he turned back in his seat, he saw Sigurd trudge toward them. His hair was mussed as if he'd just woken up, his cheeks were flushed, and his clothes were rumpled. It was clear he was doing his best to walk in a straight line and look normal, but Elias could see he too was sluggish and there were unnatural, loose movements in the way he walked. _Is he still drunk?_ Elias wondered with a hint of mortification.

“Sorry I'm late, I had a hard time waking up,” Sigurd said as he fell into the seat next to Klaus.

“That's fine. We were just wondering where you were,” Mrs. Goldstein told him.

“You look awful,” Klaus commented. Sigurd grimaced and picked up a menu.

“I fell asleep around an hour ago and my friend woke me up thirty minutes ago,” he told them.

“The party went on that early?” Klaus demanded.

“Oh no, it's still going on. It was getting crazy as I left. People doing shots, that sort of thing,” Sigurd said. “I had to stop Aika from doing another round before I left.”

“Who would be doing shots at five-thirty in the morning?” Mrs. Goldstein demanded, nose wrinkling.

“The party was hosted by some Night Class friends of mine and their internal clocks are messed up so right now is prime party time for them.” He paused. “That and I've heard some of them party hard anyway.”

“I think I remember Aika telling us something like that,” Klaus mentioned.

“That's because she told us that _last night,”_   Sigurd replied. Normally he looked a lot happier when he bantered with Klaus, but he looked positively miserable now. Elias didn't realize Sigurd partied nor that he was someone who partied so hard. But then again, Elias realized his own interactions with alcohol were incredibly limited. He could count on one hand the times he'd had a few sips of wine. He and his brothers had always been taught to only accept wine if it was expensive, and even then to water it down. He had no idea what Alfonse's alcohol tolerance was and although Klaus could handle his liquor all right, their parents didn't want any drunken mishaps at functions and discouraged them from having alcohol. Elias was even surprised their mother had let Klaus go out with Sigurd. She had to know alcohol would be involved.

But then, Klaus _was_ an adult. He should be able to have more freedom to do what he wanted. The conversation around the table remained light and fun until Mrs. Goldstein left to powder her nose. As soon as she was out of earshot, Klaus gave Sigurd a dark look.

“Are you drunk?” he demanded.

“You know, I think I am,” Sigurd admitted. “But you are too, right?” Klaus looked down as if searching his brain for an answer.

“It's likely,” he replied.

“How much did you drink?” Klaus asked incredulously. Sigurd shrugged and downed the last of his coffee.

“I have no idea. I remember doing some vodka shots with you, and then I had three or four drinks, and maybe some more? To be completely honest I don't really remember what happened last night,” Sigurd said nonchalantly.

“I left you around four and you were in the middle of some drinking game with Zeus and a few others,” Klaus said.

“I don't even remember that. I remember doing another round of shots with Aika and I had to finish hers because she didn't like the tequila -”

“Did you tell her you're not supposed to taste the shot?” Klaus cut in.

“Yeah. I think she said something along the lines of you still taste it and anyways that's about the last thing I remember before waking up on her dorm room floor,” Sigurd said. It wasn't as if they were pushing Elias out of the conversation and yet he felt like an intruder on it. He could understand what they were saying but yet he felt left out, felt as if there was something he was missing to really understand it.

“You passed out?” Elias asked.

“Yeah, that happens sometimes when you party too hard,” Sigurd told him, grimacing. Elias knew he didn't mean it, but it sounded so patronizing, as if sweet baby Elias couldn't possibly understand. “Anyway Aika woke me up and here I am.” Klaus rolled his eyes and took a sip of his tea.

“You're lucky nothing embarrassing happened,” he said.

“I blacked out on her familiar's dog bed. I would count that as embarrassing,” Sigurd said and Klaus snorted.

 _Why would someone drink that much?_ Elias wondered as took a sip of his milk. Especially if the end result was looking miserable and exhausted. Was being drunk that much fun? Was it even worth it if you couldn't remember it the next morning? Elias didn't think so, and yet his curiosity was piqued. He'd never had the chance to have any kind of wild child experience. The craziest thing he'd done was pulling all-nighters for class. But that was it. He'd never drank anything more than a glass of wine, never done drugs, never done anything illegal and exciting. He was about as boring as the glass of milk he was drinking. He knew it was safer to ignore those kinds of things, but questions wouldn't stop flowing through his head.

Perhaps it was just morbid curiosity.

Breakfast came and went without incident. Sigurd caught up with their mother and continued to terrorize Klaus by putting his coffee as close to Klaus as possible. Elias stuffed himself on waffles and even as they left the cafe, he knew he was going to have a stomach ache from all the walking he'd have to do. By the time they got to the ferry station, sharp pains were shooting through his stomach.

 _I shouldn't have had that fourth waffle. At least I don't have it as bad as Klaus or Sigurd,_ he tried to tell himself. Some color had returned to Klaus' face once they finished breakfast, but Sigurd still looked awful. He had gone back to Klaus' apartment to get some rest. Elias didn't blame him, not really; he was in for one hell of a hangover and the sooner he started treating himself, the better.

A few families were already in front of the dock, students getting ready to start the new semester and saying temporary goodbyes from their loved ones. Mrs. Goldstein pulled Elias into a hug and kissed the top of his head. He could feel his cheeks burning and although he was embarrassed, he was glad for the hug and for his face being hidden for a short time.

“If you need anything, just write to me, okay?” his mother told him.

“I will.”

“I've always hated this part,” she said quietly. She took a step back and straightened up his tie. “Be good and really, if you need anything at all, just let me know, pumpkin. And come back home next month, I know you have a three-day weekend.”

“I will,” he promised. “Be careful going home.” She nodded and gave him one last kiss. Out of the corner of his eye, Elias could see Klaus snickering. He rested his hand on Elias' shoulder and squeezed.

“Make sure you prepare well for the Prefect trials and keep me up to date,” Klaus told him. “I couldn't nominate you, but last I checked Randy had put in a good word for you.”

“I'll be sure to let you know when something happens,” Elias replied. Klaus opened his mouth to say something when someone cut him off.

“Grace!” he heard a voice call out. Their mother sighed.

“Oh God no,” she murmured. But she plastered a polite smile on her face as she looked over at the group walking towards them. “Hello, Jakob, Theresa.” Elias stiffened at the sight of the Venusian family. His father had always forbidden him, Klaus, and Alfonse from talking with the Venusians. He'd always chalked it up to the family being nouveau riche instead of coming from the aristocracy. That, and the fact the Venusian family made their fortune with adult toys and the like. Behind the parents, Jakob and Theresa, stood their daughters, Opal, a recent graduate, and Ruby, who was a few years younger than Elias. Standing beside Opal was her long-term girlfriend, Bella.

“Congratulations on graduating, Klaus,” Mr. Venusian told him. Klaus gave him a warm smile and nodded. Klaus was always so good at faking smiles.

“Thank you, sir,” he replied.

“What are your plans now? Are you going to be joining Walter in the family business?” Mrs. Venusian asked kindly.

“No. I actually have a job with the Ministry lined up,” he replied.

“Great! The Ministry is lucky to have someone like you in their ranks,” Mr. Venusian said enthusiastically.

“What about Opal? What will you be doing now?” Elias could hear the strain in his mother's voice.

“I'm going to study fashion and art abroad for a year or two, then I'm coming back to study with my grandparents to become a midwife,” Opal replied cheerfully.

“Oh, fashion?” Elias' mother asked.

“Opal's a true artist. Jakob and I told her if she just wanted to do art that was fine, but you know how it is with overachiever kids. They want to do anything and everything,” Theresa laughed, rubbing Opal's back. She just shrugged.

“Well, I'm sure you'll be very successful, Opal,” Elias' mother told her.

“Thanks, Mrs. Goldstein!” she replied cheerfully. If anyone could feel the awkward tension in the air, they didn't let it show. Except for maybe Ruby, who stood behind Opal and Bella and had a perpetual frown on her face. Elias glanced at her for a moment and she seemed to shrink, moving to shield herself from behind Opal.

“So, Elias, have you decided your major yet?” Mr. Venusian asked him.

“I'm going to follow in my father's footsteps and take up inventing,” he replied curtly.

“Good! I know you'll come up with some truly amazing things in the future,” Mr. Venusian said. Elias smiled and nodded.

“Thank you.” He wanted to think Jakob was just being polite, but he could feel the warmth and encouragement in his voice. It tore at something in his heart. The ferry whistle blew and Elias knew it would depart soon. “I-I hate to come off as rude, but I'd like to find a seat on the ferry before it's standing room only,” he said quietly.

“Oh, don't let us keep you! We're still waiting for my sister and her family to get here before we send Ruby off,” Mr. Venusian said.

“Thank you.” He turned to his mother and Klaus. “I'll write as often as I can.”

“As I expect,” his mother said. She gave him a soft smile. “Have a good year.”

“Don't mess up,” Klaus teased him. Elias nodded and walked towards the ferry.

The ferry from the Gedonelune Town to campus was fairly short. In fact, Elias was sure most practiced swimmers could actually swim the distance if they wanted to. Not that that was appealing, but it was on his bucket list before he graduated. Maybe this year he'd get around to doing it.

He found a seat on the second floor and looked out towards the terminal. He could see his mother and brother walking away and Ruby getting hugged and kissed by her family. To him, it was so alien they were letting Opal go into the arts. Of course, his mother loved the arts and ensured her children were trained well in them, but if he ever said he wanted to become a violinist, his parents would have a poor reaction. And yet Jakob and Theresa were letting Opal throw her education away to study clothes.

It was so confusing and yet he felt a pang of jealousy.

 

* * *

 

Elias yawned as he entered his classroom. The warm sunshine, the long walk he'd just taken, and his full stomach coupled with the lack of sleep just made him want to take a nap. But glancing at a few students, he could see they were far more tired and worse for wear than he was. A few were pale, one even had his head down on his desk as if napping and all looked completely miserable.

“I drank way too much last night,” the girl next to him lamented to her friend.

“What did you do?”

“My sister bought us a few rounds of shots. I had four, I think?” What was it with everyone? Was last night just “Let's get blackout drunk” night? Elias realized they were probably miserable, but that was their own fault and the price to pay after drinking heavily. He wondered what it was like to be able to have that kind of carefree life. Not to mention that kind of relationship with your older siblings where you could get drunk with them. Or go to a party full of people you actually liked. Reality set into his body and Elias silently got his notebook and pens out. The bell rang and Professor Merkulova walked into the room.

“Quiet down, please,” he asked. It wasn't like the room was that loud to begin with, but it grew silent. Everyone seemed to be tired. “Before we begin the lecture, I'd like to talk about the situation with the Night Class.” Even the mention of the mysterious student body didn't make many people perk up, despite it being a huge gossip topic for the past few months. “We will fully be integrating Night Class students into our classes a week from today. There are so few students that it's possible you may not get any new students in your class. Please try not to mob them with questions on their first day. The transition is going to be hard enough. That being said, we're going to try to make it as smooth as possible, so please remain flexible in this situation. Now, let's begin our lecture.”

The day went by normally, but Elias' thoughts strayed during lectures. It was pointless to daydream and he knew it, but still, he couldn't help but wonder what it'd be like to be best friends with his brothers, to have a normal family. To have had a normal childhood.

“Is something wrong?” Yukiya asked him that night as they hung out in their room after dinner.

“What?” Elias replied.

“You've said four words today and that's it.” Elias shrugged and then lied back on his pillows, putting his book down.

“I'm just thinking, is all,” he told him. Yukiya nodded, saying nothing. He'd had a fairly normal childhood, right? Elias wondered if that meant his teenage years were normal too. Although, Yukiya wasn't the type to go out and party. Elias knew that much, and yet he found himself talking. “Have you gotten drunk before?”

“What?” Yukiya put their tea kettle down and looked back at Elias. He clammed up.

“S-sorry. I was just, uh, just wondering,” Elias told him. Yukiya just turned back to the kettle and finished pouring water into his mug.

“I mean, I've drunk before but I haven't _gotten_ drunk,” he said. He sat down on his bed, carefully leaning over to his nightstand and putting his tea down. “I've seen a lot of drunks, though.”

“Really?”

“I worked at a pub in town last summer and it goes with the territory.”

“You worked at a pub?!”

“Yeah,” he replied as if it were the most normal, dullest thing in the world. “I have a full-ride scholarship here but I still need to work to get money for other stuff.”

“I didn't know you worked at a pub, though,” Elias commented. “That sounds... interesting.”

“It was awful, but it paid well,” Yukiya shrugged. He took a sip of his tea.

“What was it like?”

“I was a bartender, which I think might have been illegal since I wasn't old enough to drink then. It'd be a nice job if I didn't have to deal with people,” he said. “Some people were nice, but most of the people who came to us and had already had a few drinks were stupid and or mean. But it was kind of a dive so I think my experience was pretty skewed.” He gave Elias a quizzical look. “Why are you asking?” Elias looked away and hugged his knees.

“Klaus went out partying with Sigurd last night and both of them seemed pretty hung over this morning during breakfast. I was just wondering why someone would get drunk,” he told Yukiya. He shrugged.

“I guess some people like feeling spacey and out of control,” he suggested. “Some drinks do taste good, but I can't imagine enjoying feeling like you're not in control of yourself.” Elias nodded. He wondered what it was like and if he'd enjoy it. It _would_ be nice to let loose and be numb for a while. Silence fell between them and Elias laid over on his bed, staring off into space. Why was he feeling so empty all of a sudden? Why was he interested in all of this now? Was it the years of striving for perfection to live up to his family's expectations, or was he finally getting into some rebellious phase? “Elias, are you okay?” He didn't sit up but saw Yukiya pull up a chair and sit at the foot of his bed.

“... I don't know,” he replied. He paused, searching for the right words.

“Are you wanting to drink?” Yukiya asked. He shrugged.

“I'm curious about it, I won't deny it, but that's not the full picture,” he said.

“Then what is?” Elias inhaled slowly. He didn't know if Yukiya would understand him, but he knew that no matter what, Yukiya would be there to support him. But hell, he didn't even know what he really wanted. A normal life? Going out and partying?

“I honestly don't know,” he said. “Maybe it's just one of those nights.” Yukiya nodded slowly. He stood up and dragged his chair back to his desk.

“I understand,” he said. “If you need anything, just ask.” Elias nodded but said nothing. He picked up his book and tried to get back to reading. The words ran into one another and the text blurred as he spaced out.

God, what had gotten into him?

 


	2. A Flurry of Notes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the week goes on, Elias is asked to run some errands that push his boundaries a little.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my friends Randy (I'm sorry I don't know your actual name T-T) and Marina for helping me think of what makes Luca attractive bc man pinpointing shit was HARD.

If there was something Elias underestimated, it was the power of dumb people who tried to cure their hangovers with more alcohol. It was only the second day of school and several of his classmates were missing as he sat down for his lecture. He glanced back at Yukiya, who shrugged and went to stare outside the window. “It's their problem. What can we do?” he seemed to say. Elias sighed and started getting his books out. Perhaps that was something to be invented: a cure for hangovers that actually worked.

Apparently, he had no shortage of test subjects should he try to make it.

Classes went on as usual. The professors made no comment about all the absent students, although Elias caught the faint look of disappointment on Professor Schuyler's face as he entered the classroom. But then again, he looked like that most days. Elias was packing his things when a Magic Note nearly flew into his face. _Who is this from?_ he wondered as he unfolded it. He doubted Klaus would send him a letter like this and Yukiya was right next to him. Who else would write to him?

 

Please come to the Prefect's Office ASAP. - Caesar

 

Elias furrowed his brow as the Note disappeared into thin air. What did Caesar need him for? It wasn't like he knew Caesar all that well anyway; Sigurd had never liked him and told Elias to be wary of him. Not to mention Caesar had never frequented the same circles as Elias did. But if someone needed his help, it was his duty to aid them however he could.

Although classes had just ended, the hallways seemed barren as if classes had stopped hours ago. Perhaps everyone was tired and went back to their dorms instead of hanging around to chat. Or maybe they were all in the infirmary visiting their sick friends.

The door to the office was open. The feeling wasn't jarring, but it was strange to Elias. After all, Klaus had always kept the door closed, even when he was inside. Although Klaus could be scary at times, Elias felt a pang of loneliness in his body. He couldn't just go and chat with his brother anymore.

“You wanted to see me?” Elias asked as he poked his head into the office. Stacks of papers were piled so high part of Caesar's face was obscured from behind the desk. There was the sound of wood scraping against wood and Caesar was in front of him in seconds.

“Thank God you're here,” Caesar sighed. His eyes were tired and yet he looked as if he could snap at any moment. And whether he'd cry or yell at someone, Elias couldn't tell. “I hate to admit it, but I need some help.” Elias eyed the paperwork and tried not to blanch. Caesar didn't seem to notice. “The other Day Class prefect is tied up helping the nurses take care of some students and I have to fill out all this suspension paperwork. Could you run some errands for me?”  
“Errands?” Was that all he needed? That didn't sound as awful as paperwork.

“You don't need to go into town or anything. It's just...” Caesar trails off and his green eyes dart away from Elias. “I promised someone I would meet them in a few minutes, but I have so much work to do that I can't make it. I need you to go in my place, talk to him, and get a package for me.”

“All right, I can run errands. Who am I meeting and what am I getting from them?” Caesar continued to avoid Elias' eyes. Worry started the boil in his stomach. “I'm not... picking up anything illicit, am I?” Elias asked in a low voice.

“No! Of course not!” Now Caesar was looking at him, shock written on his face. “What would make you think that?!”

“Because you refused to look at me,” Elias pointed out. Caesar sighed and put his hands on Elias' shoulders.

“I'll be honest with you. The deal is slightly... how should I put it... _under the table,_ but it's important. You can understand bending the rules for a good cause, right?” Caesar implored.

“I don't mind breaking the rules if it's for a good reason, but I'd like to know what that reason is,” Elias said. A knot was growing in his stomach as Caesar danced around his questions. _I should just leave, but I want to believe him._ Caesar pursed his lips and gently pushed Elias further into the room. He shut the door.

“As a Prefect, I'm supposed to uphold some archaic moral standard and I can't be open about certain things even though they're important and in some cases, life or death situations,” Caesar began. He leaned against the door and folded his arms. “We both know this is a school full of teenagers and young adults. People are bound to have sex, but you and I both know there are no resources for them to stay safe. At least, not publicly. Even before I left, it was an open secret that a few students were in charge of that sort of thing, and since all but one have graduated, I'm taking up the mantle.” Caesar pulled a sheet of paper and handed it to Elias. “I need you to go to the other student resource and get me the stuff on this list.”

“I... I suppose I can do it,” Elias said, albeit reluctantly. But Caesar didn't seem to notice. He only smiled and started pushing Elias out of the office.

“Thanks! I'm glad I can count on you!” Caesar told him.

“So, who do I have to meet and where?” Elias asked.

“You're meeting Luca Orlem behind the east wing of the castle. Bye!” Caesar slammed the door and Elias felt the blood rush to his face. Why did he have to accept this job? Why did he have to go get condoms and get them from _Luca_ of all people? Elias gritted his teeth and shoved the note in his pocket before heading outside. _It'll be worth it. You're doing it for Caesar. You're doing it for other people._ Elias repeated the thought as he walked. It didn't really stop the regret.

Luca was where Caesar said he'd be, leaning against the wall and his arms folded across his chest. Gritting his teeth, Elias approached him. Luca looked over and smirked, the corners of his luscious lips turning up.

“You look like you're on a mission,” he quipped.

“I'm meeting you on behalf of Caesar. He told me you have some stuff for him.”

“Oh, really?” he asked, turning to face Elias. “I would've thought you'd have a heart attack as soon as Caesar told you what you were getting.”

“Then you don't know me as well as you think you do.” It sounded so good in his head, but as soon as it came out of Elias' lips, he realized his mistake. Luca started laughing and Elias felt fire burn underneath his skin. He prayed he wasn't blushing.

“I would've never thought you'd be that kind of guy. I had you pegged as one of those delusional guys who wait until marriage.” Luca propped his body against the wall with his forearm, his other hand resting on his hip. “So, what's your number? Actually, scratch that, how many people have actually cum because of you?”

“Don't be vulgar,” Elias hissed. All he could see was red; he had no idea if it was embarrassment or anger.

“Then don't put ideas like that in my head,” Luca teased him. God, Elias wanted nothing more than to knock that stupid smirk off his delicate face.

“Look, I promised I would get Caesar his stuff.” Elias reached into his pocket and handed the list to Luca. “Just give it to me and let me get on with my day.” Luca snorted.

“You want me to give it to you? Sorry, you're not my type of guy.”

“You know what I meant, Luca! Knock it off!” Elias said angrily. Luca chuckled and pushed the list back to Elias.

“I hate to break it to you, but I actually don't have anything for Caesar. To be honest, our new supplier hates me and she only gave me my share of it. You'll have to track her down,” Luca said. Elias sighed. _Great. More people to talk with, more humiliation._

“Who's your supplier?” he demanded.

“Ruby Venusian.”

“Stop messing with me.”

“I'm not joking! Opal and her cousin used to be the main suppliers since their family makes them, and now Ruby is in charge of it. She probably in the library right now, she studies there every Tuesday. You can ask her yourself and she'll tell you the same thing,” Luca replied. Elias shot him a dirty look.

“Fine. As much as I hate it, I have to trust you on this,” he said.

“Aw, you're learning to trust other people. Doesn't it feel good?”

“No.” Elias didn't bother to say goodbye, simply turning on his heel and walking away. God, why did Luca have to be so rude, so disgusting, so irritating? He fumed silently as he walked back into the castle. Hopefully, Luca wasn't giving him a wrong lead and he could find Ruby easily.

The library was dead silent and rather empty as Elias made his way through the stacks and work desks. It was like this during the beginning of the school year. The school state of mind was still settling in and people were still trying to adjust and spent their time resting in their dorm rooms. Frankly, although he'd be studying, he'd rather be in his dorm room. _But this shouldn't take too long,_ he hoped. He found Ruby by a window. She sat alone, but a few people were milling around, sitting in the armchairs not too far away. Ruby didn't look up as he approached her.

“Uh, Miss Venusian? Can I have a moment?” Elias asked.

“Mm?” She didn't even perk up. She stayed in her seat, writing.

“I, er, I would like to talk to you about something,” he said.

“I heard you the first time. What is it?” she replied. Her voice wasn't angry or irritated. It was matter-of-fact, but the lack of emotion in her voice and her refusal to look at him made his skin crawl ever so slightly.

“It's rather, um, could we perhaps go somewhere a bit more private?” he suggested. The last thing he needed was for someone to overhear him asking for condoms. Again, Ruby said nothing. She stood up, gathered her things, and gave him an expectant look. Elias nodded and lead her out of the library and into an empty classroom.

“Are you okay?” she asked quietly as he shut the door.

“What? I'm fine,” he responded. “Why do you ask?”

“You're nervous. And if you're asking me for something, that means you're at the end of your rope. I know I'm the last person you'd go to for anything,” she said. He couldn't tell if she meant it as an insult or not. And it wasn't like he could agree with her: that would be beyond rude.

“It's nothing like that. I was just asked to run an errand for Caesar Raphael and he asked me to get some things for him,” Elias explained.

“Oh. What does he need?” Ruby asked. Elias wordlessly handed her the list Caesar had given him. Ruby looked over it. Her lips curved into a small frown.

“I don't have anything on me. It's all back at my dorm room.” She started walking away. Elias scrambled after her.

“You don't have anything?”

“Yes. I said that.” Again, she didn't sound angry. Just matter-of-fact. “You have time, right?”

“O-Of course I do. But -”

“Cool, then let's keep going.”

The two were silent as they walked towards the girls' dorms. The silence felt uneasy, yet Elias was at a loss of what to say. Luca's words kept going through his head, his father's words about Ruby's family kept going through his head, and he had no clue where to start a conversation with her. She didn't seem to mind. She kept walking forward, looking around at their surroundings. It was only until they approached the dorm building did she speak up.

“My room is on the first floor. I'll go inside and open my window so you can come in. My room is on the left corner on the side,” she said.

“I can't go into your dorm, I'm a guy,” he reminded her.

“We're rich. Rules don't apply to us,” she said in a deadpan. Elias nervously laughed at her sarcasm. At least, he was fairly certain it was a joke.

“Still, I don't think I can even enter the building,” he pointed out quietly.

“I know, that's why I said I'd let you in through the window. Just give me a few seconds.” She dashed off to the main entrance before he could argue with her. She left him no choice but to go around to the side and wait for her. _This is a horrible idea,_ he thought. He fidgeted as he waited for her. _If I get caught, I'm going to be in so much trouble._ Suddenly, the curtains were pulled away and Elias' heart pounded. Ruby appeared in the window, unlatched it, and leaned out.

“Come in,” she said. Heart racing, Elias climbed into her bedroom. It was small, probably a single room, and covered in pink and pastels. Stuffed animals were strewn all over the place, clothes were in piles on the floor, boxes were stacked against the wall, and a wad of blankets was on her bed. She went to the boxes and started consulting the note Elias had given her. “Sit wherever you like.” He looked around the room and decided to sit at her desk. There were candy wrappers in a neat pile in the corner, an almost empty glass of milk, a pill bottle, and a box of tissues on it. Elias made sure not to disturb anything.

Elias watched as Ruby pulled some boxes out and got to work. She was precise as she sliced open the packing tape and careful as she counted condoms, lube packets, pregnancy tests, and other items he couldn't identify. She placed everything into another box and closed it up. Ruby sharply turned to face him and waved him over. He went over to her. “This should be everything.”

“Thank you.” He picked the box up and lurched forward a little from the weird. Ruby just nodded.

“You're welcome.” She paused briefly. “By the way, tell Caesar he can just write a letter to my parents asking for supplies directly. He doesn't have to come to me every time he needs something.”

“I'll let him know,” Elias replied tersely.

“Thank you.” Now it was time for the hardest part: leaving without anyone but Ruby noticing. Elias looked around before climbing over her windowsill. His heart started pounding as he sprinted for the cover of some nearby trees. If he got caught, he would be in heaps of trouble. Only once he got to the botanical garden did he stop running. The trip back to the castle was quick and uneventful. The door to the prefect's office was unlatched and Elias was able to open it by himself. Caesar looked up from his paperwork and smiled.

“Welcome back! How'd it go?” Caesar asked. Elias put the box down.

“Luca didn't have anything so I had to go to Ruby Venusian for it,” he said. Caesar laughed.

“Sorry. I shoulda warned you that you might've had to do that,” he told him. Something in his voice, however, made Elias think he intentionally didn't say anything. “I hope she didn't give you any trouble.”

“No, not at all. Luca said something similar, now that I think about it,” Elias said.

“Yeah. But Ruby doesn't like anyone and she'll tell you to your face if she doesn't,” Caesar told him with a smirk, as if remembering something.

“I find that hard to believe. One of the first things she asked me was if I was going to her for help and if I was okay,” Elias spoke up.

“Really? Then you must be one of the lucky ones,” Caesar commented. He looked back at Elias, a smile on his face. “This is all I needed from you. Thanks again!”

“It wasn't a problem.” Something was wrong here and yet Elias couldn't put his finger on it. But there was nothing else he could do except leave and get on with his day.

 

* * *

 

Morning came with the usual blaring of Elias' alarm clock. He reached out to silence it and slowly sat up. The sun was peeking into their room through the cracks in the curtains. Yukiya started rouse as Elias went over and opened the curtains. No sooner had he done so than a small Magic Note appeared in the window. It phased through the glass and landed neatly in his hand.

“Is something wrong?” Yukiya asked. Elias shook his head.

“Just a note,” he replied as he unfolded it.

 

I would like for you to come to my office once classes are done for the day.

There's something important I need to discuss with you. - Headmaster Rembrandt.

 

Panic flooded Elias' system and he dropped the note. His mind went back to sneaking into Ruby's dorm room. No one was around, how could have Headmaster Rembrandt found out about that? Did Luca set him up? Was he not as careful as he should have been? Was -

“Elias?” Yukiya's voice and the gentle warmth of his hand on Elias' shoulder brought him out of his thoughts.

“The Headmaster wants to see me after classes,” Elias told him.

“Did he say why?” Yukiya asked softly.

“No. He just said he needed to discuss something important with me,” Elias replied. Yukiya gave him a concerned look.

“I don't think it's anything bad. Otherwise, he'd have you come straight away, right?” Yukiya said, but Elias' mind was beginning to race again. He could feel his heart clenching like it did when he had panic attacks. God, this wasn't the way he wanted to start his morning.

“I sneaked into the girls' dorm yesterday,” Elias admitted. Yukiya quirked his eyebrows.

“What?”

“Caesar had me run an errand for something and I had to go to Ruby Venusian's dorm to get it. She let me in through the window and someone must have found out,” Elias began. “I'm going to get in so much trouble. Someone must have seen me and reported it, and now I'm going to probably be sent to the detention chamber, or my Housemaster status revoked, or -”

“Elias, breathe.” Yukiya grabbed Elias' shoulders and pulled him around to face him. “It's going to be fine. I don't think Headmaster Rembrandt would give you any drastic punishment for sneaking into the girls' dorm. It's going to be okay.” Elias nodded slowly and took slow, deep breaths. All he could do was trust Yukiya and try to stave off this panic attack. Yukiya squeezed his shoulders before letting go and starting to get dressed. Feeling sick to his stomach and his heart still tight, Elias followed suit. There was nothing he could do about his situation and he hated it.

The day went by agonizingly slow, and despite Yukiya's constant reassurance, Elias felt nauseous the whole day. It only became worse as he stood outside the headmaster's office. Worry was clawing at his stomach and his lungs felt as if they had shrunk. His hand trembled ever so slightly as he knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Elias quickly entered the office. It was still so bizarre to see a man other than Randolph sitting behind the headmaster's desk. Rembrandt flashed him a warm smile.

“Sit down. We've got a few things to discuss. Now, I take it you have no idea why I called you in here?” Should he just play dumb, or start begging for forgiveness?

“None at all, sir.” _Please don't be about me going into Miss Venusian's room,_ he thought.

“Good,” Rembrandt said. “Then I want to be the first to tell you and congratulate you on your nomination for the Prefect position.” Relief surged through his body.

“I was nominated?” This was his goal, but why did he feel so shocked about it? Maybe it was because he expected so much worse. The Headmaster simply nodded and continued smiling. “Can I ask who did it?”

“Caesar did. He said your grades were flawless, you are always willing to help others, and you're able to make connections with students who, for a lack of a better term, are loners and don't open up to anyone. Caesar argued those qualities would make you a fine Prefect and I couldn't agree more with him.” And suddenly, it all made sense. Caesar's urgent message. His reluctance to tell him details. He strange attitude after he got what he needed. It was all just a test. Maybe Luca and Ruby were in on it as well.

“T-thank you, Headmaster,” Elias replied.

“Now, I still have to arrange and decide what you'll be doing as your trials, as well as your judge, but for now, I want you to have this and start training underneath the current prefects.” Rembrandt reached into a drawer and handed over a simple brown paper package.

“What is it?”

“I think it's important for the Prefects to stand out, and to be a little spoiled, so starting this year they, Deputies, and nominees have different uniforms. You can start wearing it tomorrow,” Rembrandt said. Relief, excitement, happiness, and even more relief flooded his system. Elias took the package and gave Rembrandt a gracious smile.

“Thank you for this opportunity,” he said.

“Don't thank me, thank Caesar,” Rembrandt replied with a small laugh. “Now, go rest up. I imagine you'll have a busy day tomorrow.”

“Yes, sir.” He stood up and tucked the package under his arm. “Excuse me.” He couldn't stop smiling as he walked back to his dorm room. The meeting had gone so far better than expected. He wasn't in trouble, everything was okay, and he was on his way to achieving another goal. And yet, there was something else mixed with his happiness. It felt like he had a bit of adrenaline going, like his heart was racing ever so slightly. It seemed to make his joy even sweeter. But what it was from exactly, he couldn't tell.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, now we're done setting up themes and some plot threads!!! Now we can heavy duty get into the story!


End file.
